Watchcase crystal



Feb. 27, 1923. Y

- A. w. WADSWORTH WATCHCASE CRYSTAL Filed July 14 1919 Witnwses:

Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

An'rmm w; vflbswoa'r'fi, or roar rnomas, KENTUCKY.

wnroncasn CRYSTAL.

Application filed July 14,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. \Vans- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fort Thomas in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watchcase Crystals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to watch crystals or glasses of angular shape, and-its object is to provide such crystals in a condition whereby they may be readily fitted to the watch cases without rinding, and with a minimum of chanceof realm My invention conslsts in the new and improved article of manufacture and in the process or method of making such article as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig.1 is a front view of a watch case fitted with a crystal or glass embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the crystal,

Fig. 3 is a rear or inside .view of the same;

Fig. 4 is an enlar ed cross-section of the crystal and bezel fi ted together;

Fig. 5 is a front view, and Fig. 6 is a partial cross-section very much enlarged, showing, by dotted and solid lines,the' first stages of the process of manufacture of my improved crystal;

Figs. 7 and 8 are front views, and Fig. 9 is a cross-section very much enlarged showing, by dotted and solid lines, succeeding stages of said process; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are cross sections corresponding to Figs. 6 and 9 showing the completion of the process.

The watches of odd shape are very much in vogue, and it is usually desired that not only the case itself be of the odd shape, but that the dial and the crystal be of an odd shape also; it usually being desired that these should conform to the shape of the case. These odd shapes generally involve angles; and when the crystal or glass is made of such angular shape. it is especiall diflicult to fit it to the bezel so that it wi readily's'na-p therein without breaking the crystal at any point. The difficulty is especially aggravated berizguse the corners whlighl s gzlh an lar crysta have a extreme y is e to hieakagew'heii the dlinpt 15' made to shape may be reproduced,

1919. Serial No. 310,525.

force the crystal into the bezel as crystals are usually placed in bezels.

Un er conditions heretofore existing, one of these Watches with an odd shaped crystal involved a very disproportionate expense for renewing the crystal. Even though the jeweler to whom the watch was taken for this renewal was supplied with a crystal purporting to fit such a watch, he would nearly always find it necessary to carefully grind this crystal to fit the bezel of the watch. This is because, from the nature of oddshaped glassarticles, while the approximate it is practically Impossible to produce such glass articles of such exactly uniform shape as will be required to have these odd shaped crystals perfect? interchangeable among the watchcases 0 corresponding shape.

This grinding of these crystals involves a considerable amount of the time of a highly skilled and highly paid workman. Thus, this renewal of this kind of crystal inflicts upon the user of the watch a considerable hardship in the way of deprivation of use of the watch as well as of expense. This latter amounted often to ten or twelve times as much as the expense of renewing an ordinary watch crystal. It was due not merely to the labor of grinding and fitting; but often to the breakage of several such ground crystals in the attempt to fit them in the bezel, before thewatch repairer finally succeeded in fitting a crystal to the bezel. Moreover, even when the crystal has thus been made to enter and stay in the bezel after all of this work, it has frequently happened that the. crystal did not accurately fit the bezel at every point; so that slight openings were left between the crystal and the bezel for the entrance of dust. moisture and other foreign substances. entirely contrary to the purpose of any well-constructed watch case.

I overcome these disadvantages by providing any such odd shaped or angular crystal with a frame into which the crystal or glass is firmly and permanentlv secured by the manufacturer, and which frame is formed around its outer edge with suitable means for holding the entire construction in the watch case.

As exemplified herein. the watch case 1 is of quadrangular shape; each one of its sides 2 conforming to an arc struck from a center over near the opposite side of the News,

case. These arc-shaped sides thus meet in corners or angles 8. Such a case as this is meant when a case of odd or angular shape is mentioned; although it will be understood that many variations from the given ex: ample are possible es to number and ship-e of sides of the case with corresponding variation in the number and shortness of the corners or angles of the cese.

The glass of this case is of outline corresponding that of the case described; having the four arc-shaped sidesb meeting in the corners 6. It will also be understood that this crystal is dished as indicated in the cross section in Figsr l, 10 and 11. These corners 6 of the crystal are, in. the present example rather obtuse; but it will be understood tht any cori'ier or projection, however i'noderate. on piece of glass. involves Very much dii'iic'ulty in ire-producing uniformly and is extremely liableto breakage The frame 7, which is preferably continuous has arc shaped sides 8 meeting in corners 9 and adapted to closely surround the correspondingly shaped edges of the glass 4:. These sides 8 of this frame 7 cont prise inwardly e2: ended flanges 16 and i1. respectively, adjacent to the rear side and the front side the r fill 119 11110. which flank the adjacent edge parts of the glass l reor- Wardly and forwardly. The rear surface 12 of all these frame sides b is in 2: single plane.

The frame 7 fits. inthe front of the be where the bezel usually receives the d rectly and Where it has very slightl unfiler-cut sides 14 which incline inwardly all around for the crystal edges to shop thereunder. l t is in attempting to snap such an odd-shaped crystal under such a part i l in direct contact therewith that the crystals. are broken, and it is the direct iittu the gloss edges to such a part that requires the extreme care in grinding and fittingas before alluded to. i

The frame 7 thus embracing the glass has, on its outer edge or pcriphery a sli it rearWardly facing shoulder l5 toti'ie reu's' of which. is a very slightly rearwardly out Wardly inclined part 16. These parts 153 and 16 are so proportionedand located that the part 16 will readily snap ins'de the on dercut part of the bezel and that the houlder will come tin 1y against the outer race of the bezel l2; around thepaift let. 'l he bezel l3 used. with this nee crv tel simple merely having the openi cut through With its sides 1. L slightly imder-- out. The frame 7 may be of Yr. a]. is other suitable material.

These c noting; parts may be very readily formed in metal and may be very uniformly re-produced so that any freme 7 will lit anyone of the bezels 13 for which the frames were designed The glass .i does not re by these flanking fiancee l0 and ii. lfhis modeof'fastening also obviates the excess to breakage involved in snapping the crystals directly 'nto the bezels; the breakage in burnishing the frnne flange ll over the crystal edges being al .1 negligible. lloreover any occasional breakage in this process is not of a crystal that has involved much labor in grinding as is often the ease in grinding and fitting s eh crystals directly to the hotels.

All of these advantages are permitted by providing the crystal with permanent frame which, in turn, the watch case. lt will be understood that this frame is discarded with a broken crystal or glass; no stte being made by the local'jeweler or watch maker to lit a new glass into the. old frame. To do this would involve opening of the burnished flunge to he re-bur-- nished onto the new i {and this it iinpracticeble becaus i the fr me is very light, and Would be so distortedby opening process that it Would not thereafter litthe bezel. @f cours if these frames are of precious metal, they are saved merely as metal and proper allowance made to the cus tenier. But each crystal or glass has its own frame which it receives at the factory and into which it n t attempted to any sueceeding crystal. ln VlGW of tiese circumstances, is highly desirable that this frame should he as light as-is istent with preserving its shag-e so that it ill the Watch bezel and the some 'nie duly protect the glass during such fitting; and also that the labor of forming this frame with its various necessary parts he reducedto e minimum.

l prefer to manufacture this EHDS with its enclosed glass eccording; an improved method of which the several stages are clearly shown in Figs. 5 to lil inclusive of the drawing; l i, 11 showing the improved gecorresponding Fig l but being; on c, and, therefore,

to what is shown in considerably lerger showing this more clear it will be understooc. t l/t the glasses d furnished by the glass ins] Li .cturer the usual manner and of the ular shape to suit the atch cese des for which they are intended.

ll y improved method is chiefly concerned u: h the metal frame Y and the glass 4t itself becomes a factor therein only so for as concerns its final mounting in the fron e.

.elccording to this method a flat piece 17 thin sheet 1 etall'see dotted lines Fig. o-

.lltl

is cut so that its oilitline corresponds to that of the watch crystal which the frame is to receive; and this sheet 17 has its edge parts 18 turned up all around so as to form anextrenicly'shallowcup as seen in Fig. 5' and as shown by the solid lines in Fig. 6.

Thenzthis cup has its upturned sides 18 pressed into the shape shown in Fig. 7 and indicated by the solid lines in 9 wherein it now has the shoulder 15 and the inclined part 16 on its peripliefy'; and has its flat back 12 completed and has the front part of its cup-side 18 drawn to a forwardly presented thin edge 19 with the outer side inclined rearwardly and downwardly to the shoulder 15 and with its extreme outer part 20 of approximately the shape it is to have when the crystal is finished, and with the inner side substantially straight down to the bottom of the cup.

After this, all of the bottom 21 of the cup, except a narrow stretch all around next to the cup-side, is cut out by a suitable die;

' whereupon the article is as seen in Fig. 8, or

as shown by the solid lines in Fig. 9. This narrow stretch, thus left, constitutes the rear flange 10 of the frame.

By completing all these pressing and forming operations before removing the central part of the cup, the sides are sustained by said central part so that there is no such distortion as there would be in an attempt to perform all of this work on the thin piece of material of which the unfinished article would otherwise consist at thisstage.

When the article has been brought to this stage, the glass 4 is readily slipped into it as shown in Fig. 10; it being understood that the frame is made in such proportion to the glass that there willbe no hindrance from any slight irregularities or variations in the glass 4 as furnished. Then the thin edge part 19 is pressed or burnished inwardly over the adjacent edge parts of the glass 4 and down closely thereagainst all around; completing the crystal as shown in Fig. 11 ready for snapping into any corresponding watch bezel 13 as shown in Fig. 4. It will be understood that the edge 19 in the actualv size is very thin and slight and very readily pressed over the glass without undue pressure on the glass; and yet when so pressed over allaround, holds the glass therein permanently, effecting a very tight closure between the glass and its frame. The frame, in turn, being adapted to fit very accurately where it is snapped into the bezel 13. a proper closure of the watch front by such an odd or angular shaped crystal is insured.

These crystals. when completed. are placed in new watch cases by the manufacturer, or are supplied in any desired quantity to various jewelers and watch repairers to be kept in readiness by them for renewal of correspondingly shaped crystals in the watches with any crystal; that is, the user is enabled to have the new crystal applied tothe watch at once. And the saving in expense is espciallynotable; not being necessarily much more than theexpense o'frenewing a crystal of ordinary shape.

While I have shown and described my improved article and method rather specificallyin elucidating the construction and use of my invention, as is required, I do not wish to be understood as being limited to such precise showing and description, but having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new and improved article of manufacture, a watch-case crystal comprising a fragile part having an abrupt change in the direction of its periphery, and a continuous frame around said periphery, having means securely attaching said frame to said. periphery, and havingits outer edge formed all around to snap into an appropriate part of a watch case.

2. The method of making a combined watch-case crystal and rim, said crystal having an abrupt change in the direction of its periphery, which consists in forming a shallow sheet-metal cup with its walls following the required contour of the crystal, suitably shaping said walls all around to retentively engage a contained fragile part, then cutting out the bottom of the cup excepting narrow stretches around adjacent to said walls to form said rim, and then inserting said fragile part of appropriate contour in said rim and suitably engaging the walls of said rim with said fragile part entirely therearound.

3. The method of making a combined watch-case crystal and rim, said crystal having an abrupt change in the direction of its periphery. which consists in forming ashallow sheet-metal cup with its walls following the required contour of the crystal, suitably shaping said walls all around to retentively engage an appropriate part of a watch case, and suitably shaping said walls all round to retentively engage a contained fragile part, then cutting out the bottom of the cup excepting narrow stretches around adjacent to said walls to form said rim, and then inserting said fragile part of approximate contour in said rim and suitably engaging the walls of said rim with said fragile part on tirely therearound.

4. The method of making a combined watch case crystal and rim, said crystal having an abrupt change in the direction of its periphery, which consists in making a shallow sheet metal rim, or frame, with its walls l-w is eas es (if said rim 0r :Ersine se that said rim or frame can be lielcl in an appropriate pert (if a Watch salse and the" ssicl crystal of appreximste eontou in said rim, and

r suitably e aging the v of seicl rim with I iv); said crystal. ARTHUR WT 'WADSW' Witnesses: i v JAMEs u fimrvisstr, CLARENCE msnriw. 

